Study and Struggle

posted by Dara Silverman | 18150sc
March 09, 2016

Organizing to End the New Jim Crow with author Daniel Hunter

SURJ is excited to partner with author Daniel Hunter, who was commissioned by Michelle Alexander to write a companion booklet to The New Jim Crow. We're inviting SURJ groups to form action working groups, who want to explore taking action through the lens of the groups profiled in this 60-page booklet. Daniel has graciously agreed to appear on three conference calls - one for each chapter of the booklet - to discuss lessons we can take away from campaigns against mass incarceration, and he has agreed to sell & ship books to SURJ chapters at a special rate. Click here to read more about the booklet and to order copies for your SURJ group. Register by clicking on each link below. If you have questions, contact andrew@showup4rj.org.

Chapter 3 examines creating change through campaigns. Campaigns harness the power of groups and direct that power toward a single goal. With intention and focus, campaigns create pressure to enact specific, concrete changes. By making these changes, we can chip away at the larger oppressive system and hone our ability to transform society.

FAQ: Study & Struggle Series on "Organizing to End the New Jim Crow"

Why should SURJ groups participate in this series?

To sharpen our analysis of how to play our role as a white "flank" of the Movement for Black Lives in our cities and towns, how to build our groups and develop leadership, and how to make an impact through campaigns.

Three chapters packed with short stories about how grassroots organizers have taken on campaigns around the school to prison pipeline, deportations, stopping private prisons, and even a powerful retelling of the "myth" of Rosa Parks, that uncovers the web of relationships that led to the Montgomery campaign. Through those stories, SURJ groups learn principles about building strong grassroots organizations, developing a shared sense of the group's distinct role in movement-building, and how to think about bigger campaigns.

What will the calls with Daniel Hunter be like?

We'll offer space for sharing reflections across SURJ groups about how the themes in the book are showing up in our day-to-day organizing work, and Daniel will offer feedback from his many years of organizing work. Since it's a SURJ conference call, we'll also have virtual small group discussions!

Do we have to read it on a specific timeline?

No. We recommend self-selecting a small group of the chapter's members that want to strengthen their organizing skills and develop a shared analysis of how to take action, and to give yourselves around 6-8 weeks to read and discuss all 3 chapters. Due to scheduling conflicts, we're holding one webinar every 2 weeks with Daniel Hunter (April 20,May 4,May 18), but you do not need to read the booklet on that timeline.